The invention herein is directed to a catheter which can be used in the treatment and prevention of nosocomial infection frequently encountered in long term catherization. One theory proposed for the incidence and transmission of infection to a catheterized patient is the migration of microbes from the surrounding environment into the patient's system along the route of the catheter. One of the more common nosocomial infections occurs with urinary catheterization of hospitalized patients. With the conversion from open to closed urinary drainage systems, there has been a diminishing of nosocomial infections but still over 20% of patients with indwelling catheters exhibit symptons of urinary tract infections.
With such a high incidence of infection and a large number of patients catheterized each year, there is a great concern in the hospital staff in following good practices of catheter care so as to minimize the likelihood of bacterial transfer. In a catheterized patient, there is a strong likelihood that the patient may be cross-contaminated. That is, the patient is generally located in a room with a similarly situated patient and the catheter and collection bags must be monitored and emptied at frequent intervals, thus increasing the likelihood of cross-contamination between patients. It is difficult to maintain collected urine and to remove collected urine in a sterile condition or utilizing a totally sterile procedure. It would, therefore, be desirable to provide a catheter which could be used in association with a closed catheter system, which catheter can prevent or inhibit the migration of microbes from the surrounding environment of the patient into the patient.